[Durham INC] DRAFT April minutes

Fri May 24 17:33:46 EDT 2013

I am re-sending the April minutes as a reminder that the next delegate meeting is next Tuesday.  Note the change to the list of paid members.

From: pats1717 at hotmail.com
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:44:41 -0400
Subject: [Durham INC] DRAFT April minutes

Please let me know if there are additions, corrections, or clarifications.  Regards, pat

April
Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

NIS Conference Room, Golden Belt

April 23, 2013

Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Cleveland-Holloway – Jan Martell

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Downing Creek – Dick Ford

Duke Park – Bill Anderson

Eagles’ Pointe – Donna Rudolph

Long Meadow Neighborhood
Association – Pakis Bessias

Morehead Hill – Patricia Mohr

Northgate Park – Deb Hawkins

Old North Durham – Peter Katz,
John Martin

Stage Stop – Susan Kensil, Dolly
B. Fehrenbacher

Trinity Park – Philip Azar

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan
Sewell 

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom
Miller, Mike Woodard

Woodcroft – Derek Hensley, Anita Daniels

Visitors 

Lynwood D. Best – City of
Durham, NIS

John Killeen – City of Durham,
NIS

Will Wilson – DOST

John Martin called the meeting to order, and delegates and
visitors introduced themselves.  Tom Miller moved and Philip Azar seconded that
we approve the March minutes; this was passed.

Will Wilson from Durham Open Space and Trails (DOST)
discussed two county programs to supports open space.  Since 1991, with a short suspension in 2010-2011, the county
has spent at least $80,000 a year in a matching grant program; DOST recommends
recipients and the Board of County Commissioners approves the grants.  Also since the last open space bonds
ran out in 2000, the county has budgeted $500,000 a year for open space
acquisition and farmland conservation easements.  For opens space acquisition, for every Durham dollar spent,
we leveraged 2 outside dollars; for farmland easements, the Durham to outside
ratio was 1:4.  Lists of where
money has been used in previous years were sent to the list-serve.  If we wanted to support continued
funding for these programs, the budget hearing is June 10.  Two resolutions (Appendices A and B)
were offered on this issue.  

The Treasurer’s Report (Appendix C) included the list of paid members,
as well as the fact that we have about $3500. The Membership Committee asked delegates to look at a list of
neighborhoods for suggestions about potential new or returning members.  

Several members brought up a
pair of concerns about substandard
rental property.  First, the
General Assembly is considering a bill that would pretty much eviscerate the
Proactive Rental Inspection Program (PRIP); this led to an unresolved
discussion of how to respond in a timely way to bad ideas from the
legislature.  Second, foreclosures
on liens and unpaid taxes don’t seem to be happening.  Two specific cases came up: 520 Holloway and 616 Canal
Street (which has no bathroom and an owner who just ignores NIS).  This may be a subject for the May
meeting.

The Executive Committee
developed a list of proposed committees
and recruited chairs or co-chairs for most of them (see Appendix D).  John Martin will send the list to the
INC list-serve to get more members for the committees.  Members of committees do not need to be
delegates, so delegates are urged to recruit interested folks from their
neighborhood.   

Tom Miller gave a report from
the Development and Zoning Committee (former
UDO Committee).  John Martin
presented our concerns with TC1100007, proposed changes in the UDO, to the
Board of County Commissioners (BOCC); the BOCC agreed that there are still
substantial concerns and referred the issue back to staff.  The Joint City-County Planning
Committee has agreed that the process for approving wireless towers needs to be
looked at.  Donna Rudolph has been looking at the rules in Asheville and other
cities; good ordinances limit height and don’t have a threshold where “short”
towers don’t require a process with at least some amount of public hearing (BoA
or governing body).

Announcements, reports, and miscellaneous news

·      
Tom Miller gave a report about what WHHNA and OWD
found out at the public workshop for the “traffic separation study” for the railroad.  NC-DOT would have Broad / Swift go over
the railroad, with the ramp starting back a Perry Street, no access into the
Whole Food lot from Broad, and lack of clarity about what happens to the
intersection of Main and Broad.  If
the Norfolk Southern line is near your neighborhood, you should find out what
they are planning.  

·      
Northgate Park’s Food Truck Rodeo will be Thursday
from 5-8.  They are just starting a
t-shirt design contest.  The Beaver
Queen kick-off is at the Casbah on Saturday night; the contest itself is June
1.

·      
Trinity Park has a new
president, Jody White.  The
downtown parking study raises questions about the wisdom of giving free parking
to city employees.  We need to keep
an eye on the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, to make sure it doesn’t become a
pure engineering eye-sore; there is also uncertainty about what the NC
legislature will do on the lake nutrient requirements.

·      
The bill on design
requirements passed the Senate Commerce committee.  There are supposed to be some changes, but it’s hard to see
any improvements. ·       Mike Shiflet e-mailed a transportation update (Appendix E).

Appendix A: InterNeighborhood
Council Resolution in Support of  

Continued
Funding for the DOST Matching Grants Program  

Whereas Durham County adopted a Matching
Grants Program in 1991 and functions as a committee of the Durham Open Space
and Trails Commission (DOST), and 

Whereas the citizen volunteer Matching Grants Program is administered with the
aid and liaison of a member of the Durham County staff, and 

Whereas the committee has accomplished 19
annual cycles of application reviews and submittal to the Durham County
Commissioners for approval, and 

Whereas the program provides active and
passive recreational opportunities for the benefit for the citizens of Durham,
and 

Whereas projects now enjoyed by Durham citizens are greatly varied and include
fitness courses, play equipment at schools, new and improved recreation
facilities, community gardens, environmental learning environments, hiking
trails, natural preserves, SEEDS, ball field lights and more (detailed in the
Attachment), and 

Whereas the committee has provided proper
stewardship in funding awards to non-profit organizations that clearly
establish additional outside funding, thereby leveraging community support and
funding through partnering in each project, and 

Whereas non-profit organizations
anticipate stable matching grant funding in their planning and implementation
of their various projects when seeking multiple financing opportunities over
one or more years, and 

Whereas to date, Durham County has funded
$1.2 million for the $2.3 million total monetary investment for these projects,
now 

Therefore be it resolved that
the InterNeighborhood Council urges that the Durham County Board of County
Commissioners continue funding of the Matching Grants Program commensurate with
historic levels of funding. 

Adopted this xxth day of xx, 2013. 

John Martin,
President 

InterNeighborhood
Council 

Appendix B: InterNeighborhood
Council Resolution in Support of  

Funding
Open Space and Farmland Preservation 

WHEREAS, the preservation of open
space is essential to protecting water quality, promoting and maintaining the
physical and mental health of residents, and providing recreational
opportunities for local citizens and visitors; and, 

WHEREAS, the preservation of open
space requires timely expenditures of funds, preventing the expensive
degradation of water quality and avoiding the future expense of environmental
cleanup; and, 

WHEREAS, Durham County has duly
adopted with citizen support three city and county open space plans over two
decades; and, 

WHEREAS, the preservation of open
space is a specific recommendation in the new Durham County Strategic Plan;
and, 

WHEREAS, the preservation of
privately held farmland is a vital method of preserving open space and is
crucial to achieving and maintaining local food security; and, 

WHEREAS, the open space program
is highly efficient in leveraging $3 in outside funds for every $1 of Durham
funds: NOW, THEREFORE 

BE IT RESOLVED, that the InterNeighborhood
Council supports the Durham County manager's recommended budget allocation of
$500,000 for open space and farmland preservation, and asks the County
Commission to ensure that these funds remain designated for those
purposes.  

Adopted this xxth day of xx, 2013. 

John Martin,
President 

InterNeighborhood Council

Appendix C: Treasurer’s Report

Checking Account Balance:  
  $3595.56

Neighborhood Dues Paid:

Colony Park

Cross-Counties

Downing Creek

Duke Park

Eagles’ Pointe

Falconbridge Community Association

Long Meadow

Morehead hill

Northgate Park

Old Farm

Old North Durham

Old West Durham

Parkwood

Trinity Park

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood

Watts-Hillandale

Woodlake HOA

Woodcroft

(Note: Cleveland-Holloway paid its
dues on the 23rd)

Appendix D: Addendum on Committees 

Development
and Zoning 

Issues: 
Update review of Unified Development Ordinance; citizen education on planning;
sticking with the Comprehensive Plan; neighborhood unique identity; increase
diversity of affordable housing within neighborhoods. 

Co-chairs:
Tom Miller and Pat Carstensen

Membership
and Outreach 

Issues: 
Expanding INC Membership; partner with local organizations/liaison; membership
and neighborhood formation; information collection for youth, new residents,
etc.; association/board member training; interconnect with/among neighborhoods;
local business promotion. 

Co-Chairs: 
Dick Ford and Don Lebkes

Nuisance
Abatement 

Issues: 
Stores selling alcohol; barking dogs; bad rentals; unlicensed group homes; illegal
parking. 

Chair: 
Peter Katz

Speeding
and Traffic 

Issues: 
Speed enforcement on streets. 

Chair: 
Phil Azar

Transit,
Sidewalks and Bicycles 

Issues: 
More sidewalks, sidewalk repair; improve bus routes, monitor mass transit
issues; bonds for trails; bicycle issues. 

Chair: 
Scott Carter

Public
Spaces and Environmental Issues 

Issues: 
Park and public space maintenance/appearance; trash in waterways; integrate
waterways into neighborhoods; storm water. 

Chair: 
Deb Hawkins

Appendix E: General Transportation Issue(s) update

InterNeighborhood Council meeting

March 23rd
/April 22nd , 2013

The following updates are not meant to be comprehensive or
complete but informational only.   For more information you can
contact either Dedreanna Freedman, Mike Shiflett or Mark Ahrendsen

-East End Connector (also known as Triangle
Connector)   147 to 70

Currently in Right of Way acquisition with an outside firm working with
property owners,

Projected construction start in Spring of 2014

April
2013-Still on schedule, in ROW procurement phase

-Alston Ave:  147 to Holloway

Slightly delayed at this time due to planning issues

           April 2013 Right of Way
procurement phase currently with construction projected of 2015

-Roxboro Road at Latta and Infinity

funded $2 million by NCDOT and $2 million by City (impact fees)

Mostly
a intersection/turn lane improvement project.  ROW in 2014 not ready for
construction until 2015

-Main St. bridge replacement at Campus Drive

Main will close on May 13 (day after commencement) for no more than 130 days

Closure from Buchanan to Broad Street, official detour will be Swift/NC
147/Chapel Hill St/Duke and Gregson;  unofficial detour will likely be
Buchanan, Markham, Broad/9th and others streets

Work being scheduled to have completion by mid September

-American Tobacco Trail

Bridge superstructure over I-40 projected to be installed next month (delayed
for now due to some issues with the bridge support structure)

Project projected to completed in July of this year

Trail currently completed from Chatham County line and Stagecoach Rd to Massey
Chapel with further extension to Renaissance almost done.  Last segment
will be from Renaissance to NC 54 (including the bridge over I-40).

-Old Durham Chapel Hill Road bike/ped project

Garrett Road to US 15-501 (near BC/BS) in Chapel Hill

Right of Way/utility relocation currently scheduled to begin this spring for
the Durham segment with projected construction in April 2014

-NCDOT Feasibility Studies

Northern Durham Parkway: 70 to Mineral Springs then north to 98 up to 85 then
Glenn School, Old Oxford Hwy, Snow Hill and on to Roxboro

NC147 widening: Anticipating more congestion from opening of EEC (see above) in
3-5 yrs

NC 751:  NC 54 south to Chatham County (US 64) -  congestion relief

-1/2 cent sales tax increase for Transit begins April 1st

-Traffic Separation Study coming back for public input on 18
railroad crossings, completion this Fall

-Downtown/9th St. parking study announced, public comment starting MAY

-Public Works/Transportation/Engineering working on 4 bike/ped
improvements

Cornwallis Road, Morreene Road, Hillandale Road and Carpenter Fletcher Road

Public meetings on projects in April:  Cornwallis and Carpenter Fletcher –
April 9 at 6:30 pm at Rogers Herr School and Hillandale and Morreene – April 17
at 6:30 pm at Durham Public Schools Staff Development Center at the corner of
Hillandale and Carver

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Durham INC Mailing List
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